


Blackout

by Toguro



Category: the GazettE
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Power Outage, Reituha - Freeform, and they were ROOMMATES, just so much fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-24
Updated: 2019-03-24
Packaged: 2019-12-06 21:32:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18225686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Toguro/pseuds/Toguro
Summary: The power for their entire apartment goes out, leaving Akira and Kouyou in the dark. Things get a little awkward when Akira sees his best friend naked for the first time.





	Blackout

“Dammit!” Akira jumped at the sudden darkness.

He was sitting on his bed in his room when the power went out. The laptop on top his thighs displayed a blank screen due to the power lose. The battery never held a charge and therefore it needed to be plugged in to operate. Akira regretted his decision to postpone the needed battery for his computer at the moment. He was in the middle of a game and that progress was now lost.

He closed the lid and tossed it to the side on his mattress. He reached blindly into the dark to find his phone on the nightstand. It was dark outside, and now it was dark inside. Even the streetlights that usually reflected into his window were out. It was a total blackout for the rest of the town.

Akira’s fingers brushed against the familiar touch of his phone. He switched his flashlight on and illuminated the corner of his room. He stepped over to his window and drew open the blinds. All the surrounding buildings were just as dark as his. Down the road, he saw the lights were on in a few small businesses and apartment buildings. They were probably on another powergrid.

The messy-haired blonde sighed in frustration and turned away. He carefully stepped out of his room; thankful he had his flashlight or else he would have tripped over piles of clothes or discarded papers.

The hallway was no different. Complete darkness everywhere he looked. He’d seen enough horror movies with Takanori, he half expected some kind of specter or zombie to lung forward and give him a jump scare. It would be the perfect time.

_ “Shit.” _

Akira jumped at the faint curse. He turned his head in the direction it came from. Walking down the hallway towards the bathroom. He heard movement from the other side.

“Kou, you okay?” Akira called from outside the door.

Before the blackout, his roommate announced he was taking a shower. Now, he could only imagine the struggles of maneuvering around the bathroom with no lights.

“Yeah. That water just turned cold so fast. What the hell!” Kouyou’s muffled voice bounced behind the door. 

“Well, the power’s out so no hot water.”

“Thanks captain obvious.” Kouyou grumbled.

The pair had been roommates for two years, they were used to each other’s sense of humor and quirks. But they knew each other long before the living arrangement.

They first met in grade school when a group of kids were bullying Kouyou. He was thinner than the other kids his age and did not exude the masculine aura that was expected of him. Akira stepped in and got into a nasty fight with the bullies, breaking his nose horribly. Ever since then, the blonde wore a band around his nose, to hide the scars.

Luckily, the bullies left Kouyou alone and the two became fast friends after. They shared video games and music with each other. The two also joined their little league soccer team together. The pair were inseparable. 

But right before High School they lost contact when Akira’s mother had to move for work. It was heartbreaking for both of them. Fortunately, fate wouldn’t keep them separated for long.

Akira moved to town two years ago and answered an ad for a roommate. He needed a place to stay, and sharing an apartment was more budget-friendly. Lucky for him, the man who posted the ad was none other than his childhood friend.

Without a second thought, the two instantly agreed and had been rooming together happily.

“Can you see alright?” Akira wondered. His own cell phone was providing him light, but Kouyou didn’t have anything in the bathroom with him. 

“Oh yeah. Let me just use my night vision to see in the dark.” More sarcasm from the bathroom.

“I know you’re being sarcastic, but I wouldn’t be surprised if you did.” Akira shook his head and let out an airy laugh.

“For the billionth time, I am not an alien.”

“That’s exactly what an alien would say.” Akira chuckled aloud at his own joke only to receive a groan of annoyance from his friend.

The blonde’s smile faltered when he heard a thud from behind the door. After the thud, he heard his best friend grumble.

“Kou, you okay?” 

“Yeah, I just tripped.” Akira was relieved to hear his friend was fine.  

The blonde stood in the dark with his phone’s flashlight pointed at the bathroom door. He shifted from one foot to the other. Patiently he waited for his friend to say something. He expected him to swear at the power outage again. But there wasn’t a single sound coming from inside the bathroom.

The silence fogged Akira’s mind and became too much for him to bear.

“Kouyou?” 

“Aki…” The man inside the bathroom whined. A nervous sweat immediately formed on the blonde’s forehead. 

“What’s wrong?” Akira swallowed the fear welling up inside his throat.

“I...uh...I can’t stand. My ankle hurts.” Kouyou’s voice came out as a mumble. 

A surge of adrenaline shot through the blonde’s body. His friend needed help. Without a thought, he reached for the knob and slammed the door open.

With his flashlight still shining bright, he was able to see the entire bathroom. It was small so the light filled the room to the corners easily. The air was foggy with the steam from the once hot shower. It billowed out the door and into the hall. 

On the floor in front of Akira, his best friend sat. Water stuck to his body and glistened in the light. His skin was pink from the steaming shower. Akira’s eyes quickly roamed over his friend’s entire figure. His stomach fluttered and his hands shook when he noticed one important detail. Kouyou was completely naked.

“Shit!” Akira cursed and looked away. Out of respect for Kouyou, he tried to point the flashlight somewhere else but ended up dropping it in his fidgeting state.

_ Okay….you just saw Kou’s dick. You’re hot best friend. _

Akira was having a hard time trying to calm himself. But no matter how he tried to shake it, the image was still fresh in his mind. They always respected each other’s privacy, and somehow he felt like he breached that. Whenever they needed to change clothes, they’d leave the room or turn away out of respect. But now he saw Kouyou’s entire body, bare.

The problem was he liked what he saw. When the two met up after years of being apart, Akira noticed right away how good-looking Kouyou was. He grew up a great deal since they were kids. And he was hot. If those kids who picked on him could see him now, they’d lose their minds. Akira knows he did.

Now he stood in the pitch black bathroom with his naked friend who couldn’t stand on his own.

“Did you drop your phone?” Kouyou’s voice was incredulous through the dark. 

“Uh...yeah. Sorry.” Akira knelt on the floor and palmed around to find it. The steam in the air made the tiles on the floor moist, making his hands slide more than he intended.  _ Oh god, please let me find the phone and not something else. _

Akira’s hand brushed against something. He halted, afraid of what it was. But then he relaxed when he recognized the familiar feel of his phone.

“Found it.” Akira declared proudly. He held his phone up and swiped the screen. But the display remained dark. It did not respond to his touch. He frowned when he realized the back was off.

“Great. Turn your damn light on again.” 

“Um… I lost the battery.” Akira mumbled and blushed.

“What?!” Kouyou scoffed on the floor. Akira heard the annoyance in his best friend’s voice. “Oh hell. My phone is on the sink, turn the light on.”

Akira crawled along the floor, feeling around to to avoid running into anything. He had the general layout of the bathroom memorized, so making his way to the sink was no problem. He found his friends phone sitting on the edge and punched in his unlock code. He remembers Kouyou’s unlock code because it was his birthday “0609.” 

The lock screen flashed to Kouyou’s home screen, a selfie of the two of them at a Luna Sea concert last year. It made Akira smile as he fondly looked back on that day. Kouyou’s honey blonde hair was messily sticking to his forehead with sweat and Akira had red eyes thanks to the flash. Kouyou rarely took selfies. Overall it was an unflattering picture of them, but the memory it provoked was one of pure joy.

Without wasting anymore time, Akira swiped and turned on his friend’s flashlight. Without thinking, when he turned the light on, he had it pointed towards his friend lying on the floor. 

Once again, he saw Kouyou’s naked body lying on the floor. His arms were bent as he supported his weight on his elbows and his legs were spread, revealing his entire nether region. Akira swallowed at the site. His friend’s skin was coated in water that glistened in the light. He felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach as his eyes hungrily traced the line of hair below Kouyou’s navel. But his gaze faltered when Kouyou’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

“Dude, stop checking out my junk and help me up.” His tone was meant to be teasing, but Akira felt guilt at the realization of what he was doing. He shook his head and walked forward, pointing the light away from them.

“Which ankle is it?”

“My right one. I think I might’ve twisted it getting out of the tub.”

Akira shone the flashlight and clearly saw the bruised skin and swelling of Kouyou’s ankle. On instinct he reached his finger out to poke at the wound, causing his friend to flinch. 

“I’ll carry you to the living room, we’ll prop it up on the coffee table and put some ice on it.” Akira ran his thumb over the bruise lightly, feeling the swelling. It didn’t look serious. He hoped all Kouyou needed was some rest and not a hospital visit.

“Okay. Hand me a towel so I can make myself decent. Don’t want my junk hanging out in case some looters show up.” Kouyou kept the mood light as he joked. 

“I don’t think the power outage is going to attract that kind of behavior.” Akira laughed and grabbed a towel off the rack and handed it to his friend.

* * *

 

Kouyou’s leg was propped up on the coffee table with a pillow rested under his foot. Akira had wrapped a full tray’s worth of ice cubes inside a towel and set it ontop the swelled joint. He made sure not to shift his leg too much so he didn’t knock over any candles and cause an even bigger problem. Candles were lit and scattered on every surface in the living room to provide them with enough light to see. It was dim, but the two could at least see each other better.

Akira had carried his tall friend out of the bathroom bridal style. Kouyou buried his head in Akira’s chest to hide his blush; thankful for the darkness’s aid as well. Having his friend’s calloused hands touching his bare skin as he was carried made butterflies form in his stomach. He felt so protected by his roommate. 

But Kouyou swallowed, he had to shake the sensation away. He didn’t think the towel would hide his erection. It made him slightly uncomfortable, he kept cracking jokes to relieve his tension. He was being taken care of by his best friend while he was practically naked.

And to make matters worse, he knew Akira saw the entirety of his bare body in the bathroom. He realized it when he tried to joke about it. His best friend didn’t react the way he normally did; teasing him right back. Akira had grown silent and went straight towards his ankle.

“Here ya go.” Akira walked into the room with two folded blankets in his arm. 

He sat on the couch beside Kouyou and wrapped the fleece blanket around his bare torso and draped one over his exposed legs. The taller man didn’t realize he was shivering until he felt the warmth of the soft fabric caress his skin. Between the ice on his ankle and the loss of central heating in the apartment, the air grew cold. 

“Thanks.” He mumbled and pulled the blanket around him tighter. 

“So I think the wind knocked some wires down, I’m not sure how long we’re gonna be without power.” Akira threw his arm behind the back of the couch and sunk into the cushions. His hand rested beside Kouyou’s shoulder. His fingers picked at some loose strings from the fraying fabric. They should consider getting a new couch, one that wasn’t decorated with holes. 

“Great.” Kouyou’s tone was sarcastic. He crossed his arms over his chest to try and gather more warmth. But a noticeable shiver shot through his body even though he tried to suppress it. 

“Are you cold?” 

Of course Akira noticed. Kouyou bit his tongue as he tried to warm himself. If Akira kept taking care of him like this, he would lose it. 

Without another word, the muscular blonde shifted in his seat and pressed himself closer towards Kouyou. He took the blanket and wrapped it around both of them. His one arm snaked down towards his slender waist and the other cradled his shoulder, embracing him in a hug. Kouyou’s head rested against Akira’s chest and he could listen to his friend’s heartbeat. It was faster than he imagined.  _ Is he nervous? _

Kouyou kept his head down to obscure the deep crimson that had spread over his cheeks. Admittedly, he was no longer cold. His body had heated up the moment he felt the touch of Akira’s hands.

The only thing on his mind now was his best friend.

He held him with such care. So gentle, like he was made of fragile glass. Akira’s thumb absent-mindedly stroked at his waist. Such a small action made the pit of Kouyou’s stomach constrict. He wanted to give in to the comfort his friend was offering. But if he did, he was afraid he’d step over the line of their friendship.

“Um, Kou, I….” Kouyou heard his friend swallow. Akira was nervous about something, but he wondered why. He was the one who hugged him like this. It was his idea to light all the candles, even though it made the living room look like a typical romantic date with mood lighting. Kouyou began to worry.  _ Did I do something wrong? _

“Earlier, in the bathroom….” Akira’s voice cracked and he drifted off. His words hung in the air, creating an awkward silence between the two. Kouyou felt his own heart tense up and his throat go dry. He knew exactly what Akira was referencing. 

The air between them grew more awkward with each second, but neither of them pulled away from the embrace. Akira’s thumb stopped it’s stroking of the slender man’s waist. The tension clung to them, refusing to let go until one of them acknowledge it.

Kouyou sighed and swallowed his fear. It was now or never.

“You saw me naked.” His voice rang loudly inside Akira’s head making him panic. 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to betray your trust like that.” Akira pulled away from the embrace slightly. He tried to make eye contact with his friend to show him he meant every word he said. But Kouyou kept his head down. He wondered if he upset his friend. “If there’s anything I can do to make it up to you, please tell me.”

Silence filled their conversation once again. Akira felt their entire friendship hanging by a thread. He invaded Kouyou's privacy by accident and betrayed his trust. 

Beads of sweat collected along his forehead. The quietness clung to Akira and weighed him down. He was suffocated and couldn't speak any more. There was no reaction from Kouyou and that made his mind spin out of control as he tried to guess his friend's thoughts.

“Let me see you.” It was only a meek whisper, but it shifted the mood drastically. 

“What?” Akira blinked his eyes frantically as he comprehended those words.

Kouyou's face heated up. His cheeks were on fire. Oh how he wished he didn't have to repeat himself.

“Let me see you naked.” His voice cracked as he spoke louder.

“Kou, uh….” Akira's mouth went dry. He swallowed and licked his lips, but speaking was still difficult.

Kouyou looked up. His entire face burned from his cheeks to the tips of his ears. He barreled through his embarrassment. It was obvious to him that he had to take the lead, Akira was socially useless at this point.

“Eye for an eye. Dick for a dick.”

A smirk spread across the slender man's face. A playful glint appeared in his eyes as he confidently held his head leveled to his friend.

Akira stared with large, glossy eyes. The muscular man scanned his friend's face. But he found no hint of anger in it. 

Instead, Kouyou's face showed mischief. It relaxed the built blonde's nerves. He was able to release a breathe and rest his head against the back of the couch. 

“I’m pretty sure that’s not the saying.”

“Are you sure?” That teasing tone made Akira chuckle. Of course he didn't upset his friend. Kouyou always found the humor in things.

“Well, if I could find my phone battery I’d Google it to prove you wrong.” Akira chuckled and rested his chin on top Kouyou’s head. His hair was a little damp and smelt of citrus shampoo. 

“So, am I gonna see you naked or do I have to undress you myself.” The slender blonde pouted. 

“Kou, you do not wanna see _ me _ naked.” Akira scoffed. 

“I’ll be the judge of that.”

“You’re serious about this?” Akira looked down at his friend. The pout on his face was undeniably adorable. He couldn’t find it in himself to deny Kouyou. With a frustrated sigh, he stood up. 

“Fine.” Akira stepped forward slightly to give himself some room and turned his back to his friend.

_ Why are you even thinking of doing this? This is crazy, you two will never talk again after this!  _ The blonde swallowed and tried to shake the negative thoughts out of his mind. If Kouyou wanted him to undress, he would.

He felt a scalding blush form along his chest clear up to his face as he removed his t-shirt. He knew Kouyou’s eyes were on him, and that made him self-conscious. A series of goosebumps ran up his arm as he felt the chilled air caress his once protected skin. Taking his shirt off was the easy part, he’s been shirtless around Kouyou before. Though he never felt the other’s eyes staring at him so intently before. 

His hands hesitated over the hem of his grey sleep pants. His thumbs tucked under the waistband as he focused on slowing down his breathing. The thought of undressing in front of someone was frightening, but also filled him with a slight rush of excitement. He pulled his pants down and stepped out of them, leaving him in the middle of the living room with only his boxers on. Now he really shivered thanks to the cold. He wondered how Kouyou was dealing with it with his wet hair.  

He fought the urge to look behind him. He was anxious to see his friend’s expression. Was he please with what he saw? Or was this a disaster waiting to happen? He imagined the look of disgust on his friend’s face. His plump lips twisted in a scowl and his nose scrunching up in revulsion to Akira’s body. He could envision Kouyou walking away from him and refusing to speak to him ever again. Admittedly, he knew he was being overdramatic. But he couldn’t help having the spike of anxiety cloud his mind.

He shook his head and swallowed his nervousness. He powered through and pulled down his boxers without a second thought. He figured the longer he stood there thinking, the worse it would get.

With his exposed backside facing Kouyou, he stepped out of his discarded clothing. He worked out, so he knew his body was more muscular than average. But he couldn’t silence the doubt that his friend didn’t like it. What if he turned around Kouyou was appalled by what he sees? 

But then he remembered, he was doing this for Kouyou. It was only fair since he saw his friend completely naked. 

He turned around, keeping his head bowed. His eyes were on the floor since he couldn’t handle looking at his friend at the moment. He was bare for him to see, it was embarrassing. His hands were in fists at his side, anticipating whatever response he received from his friend. The deep red on his chest and face spread even further as he heard an audible gasp from Kouyou. 

_ Was that a pleased sigh? Or was that disgust? _ He did not want to figure out. He looked down at his body and scrutinized it. He was proud of his hard work. He managed to build enough muscle to have some definition, but still remained rather lean. His abs gave way to a dark treasure trail that led the eyes to his manhood that was nestled in a bed of untrimmed hair. He worried that’s what Kouyou might’ve disliked. When he saw him earlier, Kouyou was trimmed and well kept. Heck, his friend even shaved his legs. 

Akira bit his lip and found the courage to finally look his friend in the eyes. Sweat started to make his hands clammy and stick to his temple. The look he found on Kouyou’s face rocked his nerves. His blonde friend was pouting with arms crossed.  _ This was a bad idea. _

“I told ya, you don’t want to see  _ me _ naked.” Akira tried his best to hide his anxieties by joking. He attempted to smile, though it was forced.

“You’re not naked.”

“What?”

“You saw me completely bare. But you aren’t. You’re cheating.” Kouyou sulked.

Akira furrowed his brows and pressed his lips into a firm line. He was standing in the middle of their shared living room with no clothes on, yet Kouyou accused him of not being naked. He couldn’t help but let out an exhausted laugh.

“Dude, my dick is freezing. What are you talking about?” Akira’s body relaxed a bit, and he unclenched his fists. Somehow, seeing his friend acting like a pouting child eased his nervousness. 

“Your nose.” The slender blonde on the couch pointed to the middle of his face with his finger.

“Oh…” Akira’s eyes shot open. He looked down at his feet and shifted back and forth. 

His nose was still hidden behind the white band he tied around his face. He lived everyday with the piece of cloth tied around his head. Ever since that incident as a child, he never felt confident about it. He knew it was misshapen, but it was a constant reminder of how his and Kouyou’s friendship got started. 

“I’ve never seen you without it.” Kouyou’s voice was low. He finally stood, letting the towels and blankets that cocooned him fall to the floor. 

He walked over to Akira in a slow, almost sultry manner. The embarrassed blonde couldn’t help but watch his hips sway with each step. He also ran his eyes all over Kouyou’s body with no shame, unlike earlier. 

It was just like he remembered. Kouyou was beautiful in the dim lighting from the candles. His skin looked smooth and creamy. His gaze traced every curve and every freckle, every inch of his friend was gorgeous. Kouyou’s chest was flat, showing off his ribs. He was so slender compared to Akira. But that was just one more reason he found himself drooling at the sight before him.

Kouyou stood in front of him, only a hair away. They could feel the heat coming off of each others’ body. It took so much self-control for Akira to keep his hands to himself and not reach out to touch the slender blonde.

Akira’s eyes were wide as he curiously watched his friend. 

The slender blonde reached behind Akira’s head and with nimble fingers untied the knot to the noseband. He untied it since his friend was like a deer in headlights and making no move to do it himself. The white cloth slid down Akira’s face and landed on his broad shoulder. Kouyou reached a finger and lightly tapped the tip of the newly exposed nose.

“It’s cute.” Kouyou absently commented as he examined it. 

Akira’s nose was small, though it was slightly crooked from being broken before. And there was two small, faded scars on the bridge of his nose. It wasn’t perfect, but it wasn’t anything worth hiding. 

“It’s hideous.” Akira sighed. His shoulders slouched and his head hung in shame. He looked like a defeated man.

“But I like it. It reminds me of the first time we met.” Kouyou’s cheerful comment lightened the mood. It brought a smile to form on Akira’s lips. That was a fond memory for him. He was glad to see the thinner man also reminisce about that day.

Kouyou moved in closer, his hands resting on Akira’s shoulders. Their chest were touching, making a shiver run down the muscular man’s back. Feeling the moist skin of the flat chest being pushed against him reminded him of the coldness around them.

Kouyou also shivered. He pressed a light kiss to Akira’s chaste lips. It wasn’t anything special, and fireworks didn’t go off. But there was a shy affection to it that melted Akira’s heart. He finally snapped out of his stupor and rested his calloused hands on Kouyou’s bare hips. 

The way there were standing, it just felt right. But he felt Kouyou tremble under his hands. 

“I’m cold. Maybe we should’ve waited until the power came back on.” Kouyou giggled and buried his face in the crook of Akira’s neck.

“We, uh, we can go to my bed and warm up.” Akira hesitantly mumbled. It may be too quick to think such things, but he felt like it was only natural. 

Once again, he nervously awaited his friend’s - well now, lover’s - response. Would he be rejected? 

“Lead the way.” Kouyou’s voice was sultry, and his eyes were hooded. All anxiety was whooshed away with one sentence. They held hands as Akira guided them through the dark.

The power finally came back on after three hours. Most of the candles in the living room had burned out long ago leaving small wisps of smoke dancing into the air. And their apartment building’s central heating system was finally working once again, warming up their flat. But neither of the blondes noticed. For they were wrapped up together under Akira’s blanket. Their feet hanging out from under the covers and their bodies coated in sweat. They found their own way to keep warm and were now exhausted. Kouyou was cuddled up, resting his head on his friend’s chest. And Akira kept his arms protectively around the thin frame next to him.

After years of friendship, they finally decided to take the plunge and enjoy each other’s company on a more intimate level. And neither had any doubts about it.

**Author's Note:**

> Wrote this little oneshot couple months ago when I lost my power. Figured now was as good a time as any to post it while I'm between chapters of my other fic. Hope you all enjoy this fluffy little Reituha. ヽ(;^o^ヽ)


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